Need post-war wilderness encounter suggestions

[Rafael Ceurdepyr]

Soon the 1st or 2nd level PCs in my homebrew D&D world will be traveling through a wilderness area on an escort mission. The area does have a main road through it, but is not quite as civilized as it once was, before a war that ended about 5 years ago. It's a temperate forest area near the foothills of a mountain range (think north-central Alabama). About a hundred miles to the south is an area known as The Despair, a ravaged swamp destroyed by a dragon a couple hundred years before. Their eventual goal is The Despair (full of undead, reptoid and dragonoid-y goodness), but they're not ready for it yet.

I can always come up with monster encounters, but I'd like some creative suggestions on other sorts of encounters besides the standard "four kobolds lie in ambush" or whatever.

If it helps spark anything, here's a bit of background to the war: the August Empire was attempting to subjugate Calloo (the country the PCs live in). Calloo resisted for about 30 years--they had superior magic--but were finally overwhelmed by the Empire's numbers of soldiers (mainly slaves and conscripts).

Ideas? Thanks!

 

[Bigwilly]

Not all encounters are fights

Escaped slaves - not initially hostile, but short on supplies. have poor / limited equipment

Wild animals - a wolf, a boar, some stirges, more...

Some sort of environmental hazard - snow, hail, river in flood, forest fire

A gypsy caravan complete with an old wise woman - who is actually a high level caster and can either dispense wisdom or healing or turn the party into frogs if they give her a hard time

That should get you started.

Bigwilly

 

[Rafael Ceurdepyr]

Thanks! I especially like the gypsy caravan idea.

 

[Shallown]

I ran a campaign post war like that only a year or two after though. I used bandits/deserters, humanoids (which made up the armies) and undead (They made up the rest of the army). I also did owl bears, ankhegs and other things that had repopulated the ravaged areas.

I think the most important thing is putting the images of postw ar in thier heads. I had lots of ravaged villages that had been abondonded. Battle fields that gave people the heeby-jeebies due to all the violent deaths and un consecrated bodies.

Undead work well, some zombies and skeletons can be a challenge and be xplained as a result of the ravages of war and magic flying around. If you have acess to the living spell template in MM III (I think it is or Ebberron I think as well) Some free floating magic resulting from its use during the war would also work.

Wild animals may also work if the fields and woods had been burned and salted so that supporting vegetation is thin and therefore so is the hunting.

Weather is also aNice reminder of the world being real. Until you have had a fight with a few overly hungry wolves in the rain slicked mud or had ot pry wagon wheels out of the mud you haven't lived.

Just some ideas.

later

 

[Rafael Ceurdepyr]

If you have acess to the living spell template in MM III (I think it is or Ebberron I think as well) Some free floating magic resulting from its use during the war would also work.

This is an excellent idea that would fit well. Thanks!

 

[Krieg]

If it helps spark anything, here's a bit of background to the war: the August Empire was attempting to subjugate Calloo (the country the PCs live in). Calloo resisted for about 30 years--they had superior magic--but were finally overwhelmed by the Empire's numbers of soldiers (mainly slaves and conscripts).

Ideas? Thanks!

A group of armed desperados:
Deserters from the August Empire who don't want their secret discovered.

...or...

Former Calloo resistance fighters who have turned to banditry to survive.

 

[broghammerj]

Once domesticated animals used in the war now feral . Worgs branded with the symbol of the Augest Empire, giant lizards ridden in the fights, etc.

A long left over war machine imbued with magic now discovered. Leaves the PCs with a wicked surprise if tampered with.

An unusual weapon found amongst a squad of skeletons. It appears that the man who wield it turned the weapon on his companions. Perhaps it will cause the PCs to turn on one another.

An idea stolen from the movie Deathwatch with Andy Serkis 2002. The premise of the movie is WW1. A group of Brits get lost in a German gas cloud and arrives at a haunted trench. Various times they try to escape but they keep wandering back to the same trench. Eventually they start to turn on one another and begin killing each other. Think of Clive Barker meets the Twilight Zone. Perhaps the PCs get trapped in a bunker complex and can't escape until they complete a task. No turning on one another though as that would kill your campaign